Registering or adding a phone for Multi-factor Authentication (Duo Mobile)

You can register your mobile phone, home phone, and/or office phone for Multi-factor Authentication. The only caveat is that only one person can register a shared phone number, such as an office phone shared by two or more employees or a home phone used by two employees. You must use a computer to register and have your phone available to complete the registration process. Registering an iPhone or Android to use Duo Mobile is recommended because it gives you the most flexibility. As a Duo Mobile user you can confirm your identity via "push" notification, phone call, text message or by generating a passcode.

Registering iPhone to use Duo Mobile

  1. Make sure you have your iPhone available and that you have adequate cell phone coverage in your location.
  2. On your iPhone, install Duo Mobile from the App Store using your Apple ID and password. Make sure you have Duo Mobile installed before proceeding with your registration.
  3. On your computer, go to http://www.northwestern.edu/mfa-register and log in using your NetID and NetID password.
  4. Click Begin Registration, then follow each registration step as presented. Note that once you start the registration process, you cannot stop!
    1. Choose iPhone.
    2. Install the Duo Mobile app from the App Store.
    3. Once Duo Mobile is installed, check the box labelled Duo Mobile is installed.
    4. Enter your phone number in both boxes. If the phone number is within the United States, you do not need to enter +1. Otherwise, enter your country code, and then your phone number.
    5. Click Next. You will receive a text message with a link in it.
    6. Click the link in the text message and choose Open with Duo Mobile.
  5. After completing these steps, you will receive a confirmation notification on your newly registered phone. Once you've registered your phone you will see a Northwestern University key in Duo Mobile.

    Make sure your iPhone is configured to receive notifications:
    1. Open Settings > Notifications and search for Duo Mobile.
    2. Tap Duo Mobile and make sure Allow Notifications and Show On Lock Screen are on.
    3. Under Alert Style When Unlocked, make sure you have Banners or Alerts selected.

Registering Android to use Duo Mobile

  1. Make sure you have your phone available and that you have adequate cell phone coverage in your location.
  2. On your phone, download Duo Mobile from the Google Play Store. Make sure you have Duo Mobile installed before proceeding with your registration.
  3. On your computer, go to http://www.northwestern.edu/mfa-register and log in using your NetID and NetID password.
  4. Click Begin Registration, then follow each registration step as presented. Note that once you start the registration process, you cannot stop!
    1. Choose Android.
    2. Install the Duo Mobile app from the Play Store.
    3. Once Duo Mobile is installed, check the box labelled Duo Mobile is installed.
    4. Enter your phone number in both boxes. If the phone number is within the United States, you do not need to enter +1. Otherwise, enter your country code, and then your phone number.
    5. Click Next. You will receive a text message with a link in it.
    6. Click the link in the text message and choose Open with Duo Mobile.
  5. After completing these steps, you will receive a confirmation notification on your newly registered phone. Once you've registered your phone you will see a Northwestern University key in Duo Mobile.

Registering any type of phone to receive a phone call

  1. Make sure you have your phone available; if you're registering a cell phone, make sure you have adequate cell phone coverage your location.
  2. Go to http://www.northwestern.edu/mfa-register and log in using your NetID and NetID password.
  3. Click Begin Registration, then follow each registration step as presented. Note that once you start the registration process, you cannot stop! If you have an international phone number, enter it using this format: plus sign, country code, and phone number. (E.g.: +974 XXX XXXXX for a Qatari phone number.)
  4. During the registration process, you will receive a confirmation phone call from 847-467-9000 on the phone you've just registered. Make sure you pick up that call! Don't ignore it (or worse yet block it!) because you don't recognize the number. You may want to add the phone number to your phone's contact list or address book so you will recognize the number in the future.

Adding an additional phone of any type

  1. Make sure you have a registered phone available, as well as the phone you want to register; if either of your phones is a cell phone, make sure you have adequate cell phone coverage your location.
  2. Log in to the registration page at http://www.northwestern.edu/mfa-register with your NetID and NetID password.
  3. Click Add a Phone.
  4. Confirm your identity using one of your registered phones, then complete the subsequent steps. They will be very similar to the steps above. Make sure you have the phone you're registering nearby so you can confirm it during the registration process.

See Also:

For additional assistance please contact the IT Support Center at 847-491-4357 (1-HELP), via chat at http://www.it.northwestern.edu/chat or via email at consultant@northwestern.edu.



Keywords:MFA   Doc ID:62610
Owner:TSS Tier 2 .Group:Northwestern
Created:2016-04-09 13:42 CDTUpdated:2019-03-29 14:01 CDT
Sites:Northwestern
CleanURL:https://kb.northwestern.edu/mfa
Feedback:  45   19